Businesses getting hit hard by winter storm

And by Tuesday afternoon around 3 o'clock one of the Tri-Cities' largest shopping centers, The Mall at Johnson City, sent its employees home for the day.

But Sports Clips down the road from the mall didn't lock its doors so fast.

"It's been really slow, it's been horrible,” said Sarah Anderson, “we are closing at 6, we tried to stay open for the clients but for their sake and our sake we're just trying to get home safely.”

They tried to stay open as long as could so they wouldn't lose any more money.

Sarah Anderson cuts hair at the barbershop and she tells News 5 she only served 5 customers Tuesday on a good weather day she does about 15 haircuts.

"We've probably been taking [home] half for the business, and half of what we'd made individually. It's a big difference when it's a whole lot colder and I think the guys just want to keep more hair and stay at home,” said Anderson.

Meanwhile Bluff City's Ridgewood barbecue restaurant also deals with a drop in diners coming by during these cold snaps.

"It's been slow some, it’s cut it down maybe a third,” said Brenda Fagan.

Hostess Brenda Fagan tells us although people may not be filling their booths, customers are still enjoying their food.

"And even on days that we don't have a lot customers coming we still have a back-up of orders to-go. We've always got orders to go coming in and coming out,” said Fagan.

But unfortunately there are no haircut takeout orders and that means that Sarah Anderson and her co-workers will take home less money.

"Our paychecks are going to be a whole lot less, I like winter, but the snow needs to go away so our customers can come back,” said Anderson.

We checked with the Food City on Euclid Avenue in Bristol, Virginia and they tell us they've seen a steady flow of customers coming in all through the evening to get the basics: eggs, milk and bread.